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(No Model.) 2 SheetS- -Sheet 1.

W. M. VAN WAGENEN.

LIFE RAFT.

No. 323,377. Patented July 28, 1885.

Inventor.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2 W. M. VAN WAGENEN.

LIFE RAFT.

No. 323,377. Patented July 28, 1885.

vbvest. gnvcnhfi @10/ IQ/1a Z W l %z4l vf Ah I I I if ITE WILLIAM M. VAN VVAGENEN, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO MARCUS L. IVARD, OF SAME PLACE.

LIFE-RAFT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,377, dated July 28, 1885.

Application filed January 20, 1883. Renewed October 11, 1884.

To (015 whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM M. VAN \Vn GENEN, of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Life-Rafts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in life-rafts, providing for folding them up and hanging them to the davits of a ship instead of having them carried on deck, as is usually the case; and it consists in the devices substantially as hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 is a plan of a raft folded up and hung in the davits. tially unfolded, with one canvas side removed, showing the connecting-bars, &c. Fig. 3 shows the raft fully spread out, still with the upper canvas removed. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the same, but with both canvas portions in position.

In my construction I make two long floats, A A, twentyflve feet long, more or less, which, by means ofjointcd bars B, are united together, so that they will spread out some twelve feet, more or less. The separate floats are bound about by several iron bands, 0, and to the inside portion of the bands the two sets of bars are jointed. They are also each jointed in the middle, so that these bars may be folded together, thus drawing the two floats to within about one foot of each other, as seen in Fig. 1, and, as the floats will each ordinarily bound together by longitudinal strips G and the bands 0. The bars B have on the section to which is attached the eyes I) a loose sleeve, I l, and when the bars are folded up this sleeve Fig. 2 is the same par- (N0 model.)

will rest above the joint I but when desirable to use the raft the ropes E are loosened, when the lower portion, A, drops down and the bars become straight across between the floats, and then the sleeves will slide down over the joint I and make the bars stiff, the lower end of the sleeve being caught by a spring grip-piece, K, or some other suitable device, and thus the sleeve is prevented from slipping back while in use.

To prevent any irregular seesaw movement of the floats, the guy-chains L are connected with the inside edges, holding them firmly when spread out.

Instead of the floats being flat on their sides or edges, they may be rounded or wholly round-cigar-shapeand still be filled with the air-tight cases fitted to the shapes.

The benefits resulting from the large number of separate cases are, that if the raftbe struck at any point and a hole be'made, it will only extend to that particular case or cases, and the raft will be left intact for use, and also some of these cases may be fitted with air-tight covers at M and N to hold water and food or oil to spread out on the waves. On each side of the float is a sheet of canvas, P, united to the edges of the floats, and this canvas is supported by longitudinal strips, and the canvas side makes a bridge, united with the floats, on which passengers will rest when the raft is called into use.

I am aware that float-s have been connected by jointed bars. This feature, therefore, I do not claim as new; but

What I claim as new and of my invention 1s The combination of the floats A A, bars B, connecting said floats and having joints therein, and the sleeves H, sliding upon the connectingbars, and adapted, when covering the joints and partially extending over each pair of rods, to hold said rods rigidly in their ex tended posit-ion.

WVILLIAM M. VAN \VAGENEN.

Witnesses Hoanon Hnanrs, M. I. BARRETT. 

